Device for closing bottles by vacuum with crown type caps and machine that includes the said device



July 15, 1958 F. A. PARODI 2,842,917

DEVICE FOR CLOSING BOTTLES BY VACUUM WITH CROWN TYPECAPS AND MACHINETHAT INCLUDES THE SAID DEVICE Filed June 14, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet .1.

FIG.2

FIG.1

lilllTiiiil INVENTOR FEDERICO A.PARODI BY /l)-af b 7 I ATTORNEY July 15,1958 F. A. PARODI 2,842,917 DEVICE FOR c we TTLES BY VACUUM w CROWN TYPECAPS AND HIN HAT INCLUDES THE D DEVICE Filed June 14, 1955 v 2Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.3 FIG. 4

INVENTOR FEDERICO A. PARODI ATTORNEY Ema o DEVHCE FTBR CLGSTNG BUTTEJESET VATIUUM WllTlHl QRUWN TYPE CAPS AND MACHENE THAT HLUDE THE SAIDDEVHCE Federico A. Parodi, Montevideo, Uruguay Application .Tune 1d,1955, fieriai No. 535,512

4- (Claims. (61. Sil -8%) It is naturally understood that it is possibleto erect a known machine for closure by crown caps in the interior of aplace that may be submitted to an operation of air extraction, but thatpossibility cannot be considered practical due to the great wasted spacetuat a machine of that type would have to occupy, and what is understoodto be wasted space is that which is fuil of air that would have to bewithdrawn together with the content of the small air chamber that existsin the upper top of the bottles when these are being filled with anyliquid.

It is also possible to create a small chamber by means of a bell theborder of which has a sealing packing capable of adjusting a closurearound the neck of a bottle but in this case, said belt will prevent therapid feeding of crown type caps, at least when utilizing the feedingmeans of caps known up to the present.

This invention is directed to a device that can perfectly effect thementioned closure and which is adapted to be mounted in a rotatingautomatic machine, with the fea,

ture, as Well, that it is the actual bottle itself that operates theopening and closing of the vacuum channel so that if for any givencircumstances, the entry of one or more bottles should fail, the vacuumchannel would remain closed, thus avoiding trouble that, logically,would be created if air were to enter inside the bottles which are beingsubject to the air extraction operation prior to their closure.

The following description of the device is made with relation to theattached sketches in which:

The Figure 1 shows a diametric section, in vertical elevation, of a unitof the device in accordance with the invention and at the moment inwhich it is provided with the crown cap with which it will make theclosure.

The Figure 2 illustrates a partially s ctioned elevation of the deviceof Figure l, at the moment in which it adjusts itself to form a sealedair chamber around the neck of the bottles. a

The Figure 3 illustrates the device of the preceding figures at the tine in which, the bottles having been elevate the vacuum channel is openand the removal of the air existing in the upper part of the said bottleis being effected.

The Figure 4 illustrates the same device at the moment in which, thebottle having been still higher elevated, the closing die operates theadjustment of the crown cap.

With regard to Figure 1 it should be stated. that therein is shown acylinder ll, formed preferably of diamagbottles tates intent g Zfidifil?gee! Patented Suit? 195g netic metal, the top part of which issurrounded by a fastening rim 2 ending in a bar 3 intended to beattached to a support column (not shown) capable of maintaining thecylinder 1 rigidly fixed in a vertical position. The cylinder 1 hasinternally thereof a hollow that forms a small chamber 4 that ends atthe lower part in a conical nozzle 5 forming the closing die of thecrown cap. There is also provided a side channel 6 which communicatesthe chamber 4- with the atmosphere.

On the cylinder l is mounted a hollow cylinder 7 slidable over thecylinder fl and the cylinders are so adjusted that air cannot passbetween their abutting surfaces. The siideable stroke of the cylinder '7is limited by the pin it, ai'hxed on the cylinder 1, which is guided bythe cut formed in the wall of the cylinder 7 and following a generatrixof same. The lower border of cylinder 7 ends in a conical broadening lidsurrounded by a band ill shaped in elastic rubber and intended to act asa means of sealing when it it is adjusted to the outside of the collarof the bottle.

The cylinder '7' has a side channel 12 joined to a vacuum machine (notshown) by means of the fiexiole tube 13. channel 12 is placed invertical line with channel ti so that both channels are coupled when thecylinder '7' is raised to a high position; the vertical alignment of thechannel 6 and 12 is permanent, due to the fact that the narrowness ofcut 9, within which the pin 8 runs, prevents the cylinder 7 fromgyrating around the cylinder It.

The cylinder 1 has in its upper part, an axial perforation within whichslides the cylindrical bar 14 finished in its lower part in a plane disct5; the bar 14 has in relation to the cylinder 1., an adjustment whichis vacuun proof.

The bar 14 is made of iron and bears secured to same a winding or coil16 placed at its upper end and above cylinder 1; the winding in has itsoutgoing leads 17 and 18 intended for coupling to a source of electricpower. In this manner is formed an electromagnet the object of whichshall be described further on.

In accordance with what has already been said various units of thedevice thus formed must be erected on a rotating machine. To this effecta bottle filling machine must be selected of the type formed by a largerevolving disc provided with a plurality of platforms adapted to beraised and lowered by the action of a cam, the said machine having invertical alignment with each of the platforms, a nozzle through which iscarried the liquid with which to fill the bottles. The filling isproduced when the bottle is raised until the mouth of same coincideswith the loading nozzle and the bottle after being filled is handed to atransporter belt that withdraws it so as to free the platform which mustagain enter into operation. This machine is not described or illustratedin detail because it is fully known to all in the trade.

Such a machine may be converted to a machine for vacuum closing bysubstituting for each one of the mentioned loading nozzles acorresponding closing as described above so that each one of theplatforms of said machine be provided, in vertical alignment, with there spective closing unit; the assembly of each one of the closure unitsshall be made by means of a column se cured to the revolving di c of themachine and to which column will be secured the bar 3 together with thefastening rim 2.

One of the leads 1? or in that feed the winding 16, will be directlycoupled to the same; the other lead shall have switch interposed capableof being operated by a buffer placedoutside of the machine the action ofwhich will take place at a given moment during the gyrating movement ofthe said machine; this arrangement is also not shown in detail becauseit is understood that same is easily perceived by those familiar withthe trade.

Now, the machine of this type is fed by a transporter belt associatedwith a means that places a bottle on each platform, as they pass infront of that means; the reverse occurs when the bottles leave themachine. Between the site at which the bottle is delivered and the siteat which another bottle is being withdrawn, there will always beprovided a free space that in this case is taken advantage of to installthe feeder of the crown caps.

The said feeder is that shown by the reference 1? and it is constitutedby a channel from a bin all part of an arrangement that is publiclyknown. Channel 19 ends in a Hat end 29 that is provided with a stop 21that prevents the fall of the crown cap 22 when it is being pushed bythose that follow it in the channel 19. in this manner the cap becomesplaced under the disc and in a substantially concentric position withsame; the distance that separates the upper part of the cap 22 and thelower part of the disc 15 is in the order of a tenth of a millimeter.

When the disc of the machine is under rotation, the switch interposed onone of the leads that feeds the winding 16 is acted on to close thecircuit of same at the moment in which the cap 22 is lined up with thedisc 15. and the magnetizing of the bar i and the disc 15 that is partof same will cause the cap 22 to be instantly attracted, because theknown crown caps are invariably made from sheet iron. The cap thusoperated will be taken by the disc 15 during the rotation of themachine, and another cap will take the place of same and will be readyto be taken away by the next successive closing device installed on thedisc.

Always in accordance to what is shown in Figure 1, it will be noticedthat at the moment in which the crown cap is taken, the cylinder 7 isplaced at its lowest stroke and consequently the channel 12 is obturatedand Within same there is a negative pressure due to the action of thevacuum machine connected to same.

As soon as the said cap is taken by the closing device the platform thatcorresponds to it will go and occupy the place at which it receives thebottle; to this effect, the closing device will have to be installed atsuch a height that when the said bottle is placed on its respectiveplatform the border of the mouth shall be placed underneath the capretained by the electromagnet and in alignment with the said mouth.

As the machine continues its run, the cam that raises the level of theplatform should be operated and thus the bottle will rise and will causethe cap to rest on the border of its mouth; at that stage the cap willremain pressed between the said border and the disc 15, and remainretained allowing the electromagnet to be dis-- energized.

As the platform continues to rise by the action of the cam the bottlewill occupy the position shown in Figure 2, in which the rubber packingmay be seen to rest on the side of the neck of the bottle forming anhermetic chamber around the mouth of same. At that stage, the cylinder 7is still at the lowest point of its stroke. The continuation of theaction of the cam will continue to raise the bottle, which will push thecylnder Y until it reaches the position shown in the Figure 3, in whichthe channel 12, coupled to the vacuum machine, is aligned with channel 6that discharges into the small chamber 4; the suction action will reachthe lower chamber 23, because the irregular border of the crown capcannot operate to seal oil? chamber 4.

Because of the reduced pressure inside the chambers 2 and 23, the aircontained in the chamber 24 situated above the level of liquid 25 loadedin the bottle, will tend to leave through the imperfect closure formedby the cap 22 simply resting on the upper border of the bottle, which'cap will act as a valve capable of preventing any sudden whole of t"escape of air, avoiding any unexpected surges that might cause thespilling of the liquid. If the assembly of bar 14 and winding 16 had aweight capable of stopping the escape of air from the inside of thebottle, the said asso ably may be raised by means of a cam or any othersimilar means without the cap 22 falling off because the conical shape 5of the closing die prevents all possibility of falling at this moment.

The machine will continue to rotate and, during the at time the actionof the vacuum machine shall 351$ cliective. Near the side where thebottle must be withdrawn, the cam controlling the platform will raisethe platform to its highest position and the bottle thus pushed willpress the cap against the closing die, a it to the position shown inFigure 4. Thus, the ill be attained without previous entry of air into Ktor of the system, with which the desired vacuum closure will have beenaccomplished.

From this moment on, the platform will get lower; the bottle willdescend by gravity and will drag the cylinder '7 joined to same by theaction of the vacuum. The dragging will take place until the assemblyreaches the position of Figure 2 in its downward stroke. At this pointthe channel 12 will be closed and channel 6 will be opened free to theatmosphere to eliminate the reduced pressure in the interior of thechambers 4 and 23 and thereby enable the bottle to release itself and tobe conveyed to the position in which it may be withdrawn by the outgoingtransporter belt.

T he freed platform and the corresponding closing device will return tothe site at which a new cap is provided; at that moment, the differentparts that compose the closing device are disposed in the manner shownin Figure l, and the cycle of work is again commenced.

It is to be understood that the vacuum channels of all the closingdevices will be coupled to a channel in common which in turn is coupledto the vacuum machine. For this reason, the fact that it is actually thebottle itself that operates the opening of the vacuum channels is veryimportant, having the advantage of avoiding the opening of the channelsin cases in which for any reason whatsoever, one or more bottles shouldnot enter into the machine. This prevents the free entry of air into thewhole system and prevents cancelling all the vacuum in the bottleswhich, as that moment were being closed by the machines.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for the vacuum closing of bottles with crown type capscomprising, a first cylinder supported in vertical position and providedwith an internal chamber terminating in a conical-forming memberoverlain by a cap-receiving chamber, a first channel communicatingbetween said cap-receiving chamber and one side of said first cylinder,a second cylinder coaxially surrounding said first cylinder and slidablydisposed in fluid-tight manner with respect thereto, the lower end ofsaid second cylinder being provided with a packing capable ofestablishing an hermetic closure when adjusted around the neck of thebottle to be closed, a second channel extending laterally through saidsecond cylinder, means connecting said second channel with vacuum supplymeans, said second channel being positioned in vertical alignment withthe channel of the first cylinder, and magnetic means disposed on thelower end of a bar slidingly mounted in said first cylinder forreceiving and holding a cap.

2. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 in which means are provided toprevent rotation of said second cylinder with respect to said firstcylinder and to limit the longitudinal stroke of said second cylinderwith respect to said first cylinder.

'3. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 in which said second channel ispositioned with respect to said second cylinder so that said firstchannel is exposed to the atmosphere when said second cylinder islowered with respect to said first cylinder.

4. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 in which said magnetic means includesan electromagnet, means to place a crown cap adjacent the lower end ofsaid bar and means to energize said electromagnet when said crown cap ispositioned adjacent the lower end of said bar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

